The present invention relates to machinery sets where a shaft coupling requires guarding and, more particularly, to a guard to be positioned about the drive shaft or coupling of a fluid pumping assembly.
Pumping systems and other machinery sets utilizing a rotating shaft present a significant number of safety concerns to those designing, operating, and maintaining the systems. For example, a typical pumping system incorporates a number of pumping motors coupled to respective rotatable components of fluid pumps via a drive shaft or pump coupling. The drive shafts or couplings are typically enclosed or encased in a removable steel or aluminum shaft housing to permit convenient inspection and routine maintenance of the shaft or coupling while ensuring safe operation and maintenance of the pumping system.
These conventional shaft housings are a fairly common component of a pumping system. Accordingly, there is a continuing need in the fluid pumping industry for shaft housings incorporating new and improved operational features. Further, there is a continuing need in the industry for shaft housings that are less expensive to manufacture and easier to assemble, install, and remove.